President David Granger yesterday said that he has asked Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo to provide the curricula vitae for the six persons he has nominated for Chairman of the Guyana Elections Com-mission (GECOM), according to a release from the Ministry of the Presidency.
He said this is needed “so that he can determine their suitability for the post according to the requirements outlined in the Constitution of Guyana.”
On Wednesday, Jagdeo held a press conference to disclose that he had nominated Chartered Accountant and lawyer Christopher Ram; business executive Ramesh Dookhoo; author, Indian rights activist and columnist Ryhaan Shah; historian Professor James Rose; governance and peace practitioner Lawrence Lachmansingh and former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force and mining executive Norman McLean.
In an invited comment yesterday at the Ministry of the Presidency, the President said that he received the list of nominations from the Opposition Leader on Wednesday and has responded to that request.
“I replied to him right away because although those six names might be known to the public, I could not be sure that their nominations were in accordance with the Constitu-tion. I have asked him to let me have copies of the Curriculum Vitae of each one so that it can guide me in making my decision. So that is where we are now and I would say that the ball is in his court. I would say let me have the resume for the persons so we can go ahead with this process. It is very important that we have a Chairman as early as possible,” the President said.
Article 161 (2) states that “…the Chairman of the Elections Commission
shall be a person who holds or who has held office as a Judge of a Court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a Court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such Judge, or any other fit and proper person, to be appointed by the President from a list of six persons, not unacceptable to the President, submitted by the Leader of the Opposition after meaningful consultation with the non-governmental political parties represented in the National Assembly. Provided that if the Leader of the
Opposition fails to submit a list as provided for, the President shall appoint a person who holds or has held office as a Judge of a Court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a Court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such Court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge.”
Jagdeo said at the press conference that the six were selected following extensive consultations with 30 civil society organizations, representing major sections of society. These include religious organisations from the three major religions, the private sector, the labour movement, women and young people.
The submission of the list is one of a small number of constitutional engagements between the President and Jagdeo since the 2015 elections. The list will be seen as testing the President in determining which candidate is best suited. The President has been snared in the middle of a controversy over appointments to the judiciary by not acting on recommendations made by the Judicial Service Commission.
Of the six names tendered, observers say that Ram and Lachmansingh would be the main contenders and more readily accepted by the President. Ram is a longstanding civil society activist. Of the six, Lachmansingh has wide knowledge of electoral systems having served in the Electoral Assistance Bureau for several elections here and as an international civil servant in countries as diverse as Afghanistan,
Cambodia and Ghana. He also served with the UNDP’s Social Cohesion Programme here.
The former Chairman of GECOM, Dr. Steve Surujbally’s resignation became effective as of November 30.
